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Pre-War Classical International System (7 Features)

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1. The Euro-centric International system:

Nineteenth Century international system was dominated by the European states. Europe always determined the nature and course of international relations. Several parts of the world, almost the whole of Asia, Africa and Latin America lived as colonies or dependencies of the European states. The USA was still following the policy of isolationism.

Japan remained engaged in attempts at the establishment of its imperialism in Asia-Pacific region. There was no international organisation. Consequently, the international system stood dominated by England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria and Russia and it was Euro-centric system.

2. Balance of Power as the Regulator of International Relations:

Balance of Power was the fundamental principle of the pre war international system. Under this principle the major European states used to maintain a sort of balance in their power relations. They remained involved in struggle for power, competition and conflict. However, they also followed the rule that no state was to be permitted to become unduly powerful.

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In case any state tried to become disproportionately powerful, it was deemed a violation of the balance of power. In such a case the other major powers of the system, either individually or collectively or acting in groups, could take such steps, including war, for reducing the power of the disproportionately powerful state. These states could act for achieving the objective of reducing the power of the threatening state, as well as for restoring the balance of power.

In the restored balance of power system, the punished state was readmitted and the system was made to work as before. The rule was that no state was to be eliminated completely. War was accepted and used as a means for maintaining the balance of power.

Such a system was worked through several devices like Compensation, Territorial Compensation, Divide and Rule, Armaments and Disarmaments, Buffer State system, and Alliances—Counter Alliances. Balance of Power acted as the director of international relations of this period.

3. A Multi-power System:

The balance of power system helped Europe to maintain its character as a multi-state continent which in turn influenced the international system. It gave the European states opportunities for establishing and maintaining their imperial systems as well as enabled them to prevent war. However, it could not prevent local wars, as Balance of Power accepted war as a means. Nevertheless, it did help the process of preventing a world war. Several European states acted as major players of international relations.

4. Nationalism:

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Nationalism was a key feature of the nineteenth century international system. Under the impact of the French Revolution, the ideology of nationalism came to be the mainstay of the behaviour and activities of the European nations. The European ethnic minorities or nationalities accepted this ideology and began dreaming of getting organised into independent nation-states. ‘Each nationality a state’ became a popular principle.

It encouraged the Germans and Italians to adopt aggressive nationalism and to work for the unity and integrity of all the Germans and Italians. Nationalism usually took the form of aggressive nationalism and under its influence there appeared ethnic conflicts and clashes in a number of multi-national states. The problems and aspirations of ethnic minorities living in various states became a major factor of international relations.

Under the leadership of Bismark, the German nationalists initiated actions for securing the unity of all Germans and in the process they got engaged in conflict and disputes with France and Austria. In 1866, Germany defeated Austria and in 1871 it defeated France. Such events also influenced the Italian leadership to adopt aggressive nationalism, and Italy also initiated attempts for securing the unity of the Italians. Balkans became the area of conflict and wars. As such, nationalism remained a feature of the pre-war internationalism system.

5. Imperialism:

The policy of imperialism was also a fundamental feature of the 19th century international system. Several European states, acting under the policy of imperialism, were successful in establishing their big empires in Asia, Africa and Latin America. England, France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Italy and Germany adopted the policy of imperialism as the basis of their activities in international relation. Narrow nationalism and the expansion of industrial revolution and capitalism provided a strong basis to the policy of imperialism.

By the middle of the 19th century both England and France were able to establish their imperialism in various parts of the world—Likewise Spain, England and France were successful in establishing the imperialistic control on Latin American nations. Along with it, the people of Europe was in a position to colonies almost the whole of Africa.

The European countries used imperialism as an instrument for the exploitation of people of their respective colonies. A naked use of imperialism was practiced and it became a source of prosperity for the European countries. However, this development had a negative effect in so far as it made the struggle for power among the European countries more aggressive and conflictual.

6. Militarism:

Militarism and military power constituted the most basic dimension of national power and every major European state, and Japan remained continuously involved in the process of developing their military rights. They never hesitated in using military power for securing their interests in international relations. War was accepted and used as a means. It was even preferred over ‘doubtful negotiations’.

7. Absence of an International Organisation:

The 19th century international system was characterised by the absence of an international organisation. The major European powers acted as key players and regarded Balance of Power as the key device of power- management and international peace.

This system, it was held, could operate in the absence of an international organisation and hence they did not make any real attempt to organize an omnibus international organisation. As such, the pre-war international system was characterised by Balance of Power, Dominant Europe, Nationalism, Militarism and Absence of an international organisation.